All God's Critters

Song by Bill Staines, Pictures by Kadir Nelson

The entire book is sung to the listener, with animal sound effects where appropriate

All God's critters got a place in the choir,

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got! Now...

Listen to the bass, it's the one on the bottom

Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus

Moans and groans with a big to-do

And the old cow just goes MOOOOOOOOOO!

The dog and the cat, they take up the middle

While the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles

The donkey brays and the pony neighs,

And the old coyote howls.

All God's critters got a place in the choir,

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got! Now...

Listen to the top where the little birds sing

On the melodies, with the high notes ringing

The hoot owl hollers over everything and

The jaybird disagrees.

Singin' in the nighttime, singin' in the day

The little duck quacks, then he's on his way.

The possum ain't got much to say,

And the porcupine talks to himself.

All God's critters got a place in the choir,

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got! Now...

It's a simple song of livin' sung everywhere,

By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear,

The grumpy alligator and the hawk above,

The sly raccoon and the turtledove.

All God's critters got a place in the choir,

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got now!